Starters rest in 49ers' 14-12 win against Chargers

SANTA CLARA - Thursday night’s preseason game against the San Diego Chargers presented a final chance to see the 49ers in action before the start of the 2015 regular season.

So let’s run through the San Francisco first-teamers, player by player, and see how they did in the Niners’ 14-12 victory.

Oh, wait, there weren’t any.

NFL teams rarely expose their best players to a lot of snaps in the fourth preseason game. It’s seen more as an opportunity to evaluate fringe players before the final round of cuts. But the 49ers and Chargers took the concept to a new extreme Thursday, trotting out the understudies from the first snap of the game.

None of the Niners’ starters actually, you know, started against the Chargers. And San Diego played it much the same way.

“We had a full practice (Wednesday), and we’ll run full practice (Friday),” Niners head coach Jim Tomsula explained. “We had a lot of guys that had a great workout, a great lift today. We need the practice time instead of going out there today and taking yesterday off and doing a walk-through setting and then coming into this for five or six plays.”

Tomsula admitted that the rash of injuries around the NFL this preseason played into his thinking.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that it’s always part of it,” he said. “I mean, just honestly. When I first came into the NFL and it was always the ceremonial five plays, and you were getting guys in, getting ’em in a rhythm and getting ’em out, that was always a concern. Every staff meeting I’ve been in before this game has been touch and go in that area, and everybody’s got a story that could scare you.”

Kaepernick suited up but watched the game from the bench as a spectator, as did stalwarts like wide receiver Anquan Boldin, tight end Vernon Davis and inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman. The offensive line tipped off their inactivity, showing up in sneakers rather than cleats.

And so we don’t really know anything more of substance about the 49ers than we did a day ago. Whether the offensive line can block, whether Kaepernick has developed more accuracy from the pocket, whether the Niners can find pass rushers to make up for Aldon Smith and, perhaps, Ahmad Brooks - these remain mysteries to be answered starting Sept. 14, when San Francisco hosts the Minnesota Vikings in the regular-season opener.

Not that Thursday’s game was without import. It may have been the difference between employment and unemployment for some guys.

Among the winners for the 49ers were:

Wide receiver Bruce Ellington, who took a short slant pass in the first quarter from Dylan Thompson - the third-string quarterback who started for the Niners - and turned it into a 70-yard footrace that ended with a touchdown celebration.

DeAndrew White, who had dynamic punt returns of 34 and 36 yards for San Francisco, plus receptions of 36 and 31 yards.

Rookie safety Jaquiski Tartt, who had four solo tackles.

And, of course, Jarryd Hayne, the Australian rugby star who has become a living Disney movie this summer. Hayne got off to a slow start on his first two punt returns, but later made a nice special-teams tackle, cut back nicely and found a hole for a 19-yard run and finished a 12-yard reception by dropping San Diego’s Lowell Rose to the ground with a shoulder thump.

It was a mixed night for Thompson, who accomplished the rare feat of playing an entire preseason game at quarterback. He followed the Ellington touchdown pass with a back-shoulder pass to Quinton Patton for the 2-point conversion and later hit the twisting tight end Busta Anderson with a 16-yard touchdown for a fourth-quarter TD.

Thompson also showed some nifty spin moves to avoid trouble in the pocket.

But he was under duress for much of the night, and on one play it resulted in a pick-six for the Chargers when Cordarro Law harried Thompson into a pass that Richard Crawford intercepted and ran back, cutting the score to 8-6. Thompson’s final numbers: 17 of 25 for 225 yards.

“It felt good to get hit,” Thompson said. “That means you’re in there. I was just really thankful that I was able to get a lot of reps tonight, just grateful for the opportunity.”

It still isn’t clear whether the 49ers will go with two quarterbacks or three this year. But for guys like Thompson, Thursday was a final chance to make an impression.

You can reach Staff Writer Phil Barber at 521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com. Follow him on Twitter @Skinny_Post.